Inking apparatus.



No. 7o5,|4. Patented my 22,' |902.

L, B; woounuFF & F. E. cATuN.

lNKlN-G APPARATUS. (Application filed Mar. 12, 1902.)

(Nb Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

I-O l lle No. 705,184. Patented July 22,1902l L. B. woonnuFF @L F, E.cAToN.

(Application led Har. 12, 1902.) v (No Model.) 2 Sheeis-Shejt 2.

4G.. dwf* l if i u mel' i 7AM( '.v @45a @M/224% HW muy Unirnn StrainsParitair lrricn.

LESLIE B. VOODRUFF AND FRED lil. CATON, OF SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA.

lNKlNG APPARATUS.

SPECIFCATIQN forming part or" Letters Patent No. l705,184, dated July22, 1902.

Application filed March 12,

T0 all whom :It muy concerns Be it known that we, LESLIE B. WOODRUFF andFRED E. CATON, citizens of the United States, residing at San Jose,Santa Clara county,State of California, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Inking Apparatus; and `we do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

Our invention relates to that class of inl ing apparatus in which anink-supply device of suitable character is located in proximity to thetype-forni to be inked,and an independentmanually-operatedform-inkingroller deriving its inksupply by contact with the supplydevice is lifted or moved bodily by the operator forth and back betweensaid supply device and the type-form. This style ofinking apparatus isused in connection with hand piintingpl'esses, in which the type-form isexposed to be inked either by being moved back and forth to alternatelyreceive its ink and to make its impression or by the completion of thestroke of an impression-cylinder rolled over it.

The inking apparatus in one of its usual forms consists of a stand orframe adapted to be set in proximity to the bed of the press upon whichthe type-form is exposed tobe inked, said frame carrying in its top apair of ink-supply rollers, usually made of wood and one having a crankfor turning them. An independent form-inking roller carried in a handledbail is by the operator alternately passed over and in contact with the.ink-supply rollers and with the type-forin, the operator turning thesupply-rollers with one hand whenever the ink is required to bedistributed or spread evenly and then bodily lifting or moving theform-inking roller forth and back between the supply-rollers andthetype-form. This lifting or moving of the form -inking roller asisusually done has, among others, the following objections, to Wit: First,unless performed with great care, involving loss of time, the exposededges of the chase are inked,causing it to soil the sheet to be printed;second, if an ink plate or apron is used, over which the inking-rollerpasses between the supply-rollers and the type-form, part of the ink isleft on the plate, causing an uneven appearance of the printing; third,the lifting or 1902. Serial No. 97,806. (No model.)

moving of the inking-roller is a severe tax upon the strength of theoperator, not so much because of the weight to be lifted as because ofthe prolongation of the operation or, if an ink plate or apron beused,because of the natural cohesion ofthe inking-roller to said plateor apron.

The objects of our invention are to avoid inking the chase, to secureuniformity in inking the forms, to relieve the' tax upon the strength ofthe operator, and to make the movement uniformly accurate and easilyperformed.

T0 these ends our invention consists, essentially, in a movableoscillating or reciprocating carrier so disposed as to receive theform-inkingroller from the iuli-supply device Yand.to transfer it underthe guidance of the operator and with precision to the type-for1n and toagain receive it from the type-form and bear it back again to the supplydevice.

Our invention further consists in the novel disposition and arrangementof the carrier, as we shall now describe by reference to the`accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a side view of our inkingapparatusrshowing one form of our carrier and showing also by dottedlines the different positions ofthe carrier and those of theinkingroller. Fig. 2 is a topview of the apparatus of Fig. l, showingthe inking-roller on the type-form and the carrier down in position onthe chase containing the form and waiting to receive said roller totransfer it back again to the ink-supply rollers. Fig. 3 is a side viewshowing another form of our inking apparatus'and carrier and itsapplication to the type-bed. Fig. Ll is a top View of same.

' A is the type-bed of a printing-press, upon which lies the type-forniB, and C is the chase holding the form.

D is the ink-supply device, which may be of any suitable character. ltis here `shown in the forni of two rollers, one roller being providedwith a crank d for turning it. E is the form-inking roller carried by abail c, provided with handle c'. These ink-supply rollers are to beplaced in convenient proximity to the type-bed A to enable theinking-roller to be transferred forth'and back between the type-form andthe supplyrollers- Itis ininiaterial as far as the essential feature ofour IOO invention is concerned what kind of a frame carries thesesupply-rollers or otherinking device or whether said frame isattached'to or is independent of the type-bed A or stand of the pressor, ifattached, what kind of a connection is made. For the purposes ofillustration we have shown one kind of frame in Figs. l and 2 andanother kind in Figs. 3 and 4. In Figs. l and 2 we show the applicationof our invention to a common form of inking apparatus of this classconsisting of the frame as an independent stand F, which carries theink-supply rollers in its top and which is adapted to be adjusted to itsproper place relatively to the type-bed on which the type-form rests.

In Figs. 3 and 4 we show a bracket-frame F', carrying the ink-supplyrollers and adapted to be secured', as by the bolts f,' to the frame ofthe type-bed.

Our ink-roller carrier may be of any suitable shape or construction andmay be connected with the stand F or bracket-frame'F' in any suitablemanner. Its chief essential is its adaptability to receive and bear theWeight of the inking-roller and to transfer it from the ink-supplydevice to the type-form and back again. Itmay be an open or closedframework or a pair or series of arms and of suitable cross-section andlength. The form of carrier G shown Vin Figs. l and 2 is a trough of thelength of the ink-supply rollers, thereby adapting it to receive andhold the form-inking roller irrespective of the length of the latter, sothat rollers of differentlengths may be used without adjustment. Theform shown in Figs. 3 and 4 is the concavcd ends or heads G' of a pairof arms H', which said ends or heads are adapted to receive the ends e2of the form-inking roller.

The ink-roller carrier is a movable one, having a travel between theink-supply rollers and the type-form. Its movement is such as to carryit at one limit into such position relatively to the supply-rollers asto allow the form-inking roller to be rolled directly from said rollersinto said carrier, and at the other limit it will lie in such positionas to permit the form-inking roller to be rolled out of it upon thetype-form. The adjustment of the movement is such that at its forwardlimit the carrier lies over and protects the chase C, so that theinking-roller will pass directly upon the form without contact with thechase. To effect this movement, the carrier may be mounted in anysuitable lnanner. That which we show in Figs. 1 and 2 consists of endlinks or arms H, connected with it and pivoted at their lower ends tosuitable brackets f on stand F. The center of movement is slightlyforward of the rear limit of the carrier, so that said carrier will lieat rest against the edge of the frame in which the supply-rollers arejournaled and be ready to receive the inking-roller, as seen in Fig. l.It will be observed that the carrier Gr of Figs. 1 and 2 is secured toits arms H by bolts g. By loosening these bolts the carrier may beturned slightly to vary its position relatively to the arms, and thus itmay be adjusted readily to lie in the proper position both to receivethe inking-roller and to lie on the chase without striking or resting onthe type-form.

The form of carrier connection which we show in Figs. 3 and 4 consistsof the pair of arms H', secured upon a squared rock-shaft h', wherebysaid arms swing in unison, with the rockshaft, which is journaled in thebracket-frame F', for a center. To provide for different lengths ofform-inking rollers, the arms H' may be secured upon the rockshaft h'adjustably, so that they may slide closer together or farther apart,and'be fixed in position where adjusted by set-screws h2. The form ofcarrier G' of Figs. 3 and 4 by not coming into contact with the inkedsurface of the inking-roller will avoid any tendency to disturb saidsurface.

The operation is as follows: The operator grasping handleeholds theform-inkingroller, presses it forward, and rolls it into the waitingcarrier. Then with the inking-roller lying in the carrier he pushes onthe handle e, and thereby swings the carrier containing theinking-roller forward until the carrier reaches the chase at the edge ofthe form. Then he pushes the inking-roller out of the carrier, upon andover the type-form B, and when the latter is inked he draws theinking-.roller tinuous motion, and the same movement is obtained whenthe inking-roller is returned from the type-form to the supply-rollers.Thus the operator is relieved of the weight and suction of theinking-roller, and said roller is carried with precision between itslimits of operation.

Having thusl described our invention, what we claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

l. In an inking apparatus having an inksupply device and an independent,manuallyoperated form-inking roller, deriving its inksupply by contactwith said supply device, a movable carrier adapted to travel between theink-supply device and the type-form, and disposed to receive theform-inking roller from thesupply device and to transfer it under theguidance of the operator to the type-form and back again.

2. In an inking apparatus comprising a frame, an ink-supply devicecarried thereby,

IOO

IIO

and an independent manually-operated forininking roller deriving itsink-supply by contact with said supply device, a carrier movablyconnected with said frame and disposed to receive the forni-inkingroller from the supply device and to transfer it under the guidance ofthe operator to the type-'form and back again.

3. In an inking apparatus comprising a frame, an ink-supply devicecarried thereby and an independent manually-operated forminking rollerderiving its ink-supply by contact with said supply device, a carrierpivotally connected with said frame adapting it to swing between theink-supply device and the type-form and so disposed as to receive theform-inking roller from the ink-supply device and to transfer it underthe guidance of the operator to the type-forni and back again.

4L. Aninkingapparatus comprisingafraxne, an ink-supply device carriedthereby, an independent manually-operated form-inking roller derivingits `ink-supply by contact with said supply device, a carrier adapted toreceive the inking-roller from the supply device and pivoted armsconnecting the carrier with the frame adapting said carrier to swingbetween the ink-supply device and the typeforin, whereby said carrier isadapted to transfer the form-inking roller, under the guidance of theoperator, from the ink-supply device to the type-form and back again.

5. Aninkingapparatus comprisingafraine,

an ink-supply device carried thereby and an independentmanually-operated forni-inking roller deriving its ink-supply by contactwith said supply device and an adjustable carrier pivotally connectedwith said frame adapting it t0 swing between the ink-supply device andthe type-form and so disposed as to receive the forrn-inking roller fromthe supply device and to transfer it under the guidance of the operatorto the type-form and back again.

6. An inking apparatus comprising a frame, an ink-supply device `carriedthereby, an independent manually -operated form-inking roller derivingits ink-supply by contact with said supply device, a carrier adapted toreceive the inking-roller from the supply device, pivoted armsconnecting the carrier With the frame and adapting said carrier to swingbetween the ink-supply device and the typeform whereby said carrier isadapted to transferthe form-inking roller, under the guidance of theoperator, from the ink-supply device to the type-form and back again,and a connection between the carrier and said arms whereby the carriercan be adjusted relatively thereto.

In Witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands.

LESLIE B. WOODRUFF. FRED E. CATON.- Witnesses:

SAML. G. ToMirKINs, J. S. Moolinnn.

